Muskogee Public Schools Develop New Bed Bug Policy

Muskogee parents are being warned to check their children for bed bugs Friday night. Crews quickly cleaned and sanitized a classroom after a teacher found one of the bugs crawling on a student.

Muskogee Public Schools calls it an isolated incident, but parents were warned to check their children for bed bugs.

The district said they are taking the situation seriously and even developed a new bed bug policy.

"Just because somebody had a bug crawling on their clothes doesn't mean they have an infestation, so we want people to remember that," said Wendy Burton with Muskogee Public Schools.

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She said administrators at Pershing Elementary found a bed bug on a student; and just like any case where a student shows lice, they took measures to clean the classroom.

"We just don't want people to panic, but we do want them to be aware so they'll take preventative measures at home, check things out at home and things like that," Burton said.

The Oklahoma Health Department said parents shouldn't be alarmed, but should take steps to sanitize backpacks and wash clothes.

"Bed bugs don't live long off the body; basically they come like head lice, they cause no disease or illness, they're just a nuisance," said Oklahoma Department of Health District Nurse Manager Joyce Walker.

"This is not a new epidemic or something; bed bugs have been here for quite a spell. They've been in the hotels, they've been everywhere, and so people just need to be knowledgeable about their transmission, how to get rid of them, what to look for," she said.

All 14 school principals in the Muskogee school district met at headquarters to talk about a new bed bug protocol and how to respond if they have any future incidents.

"If we have another report that there might be another bed bug in a classroom, of course they'll come right out and inspect. He can set monitors to trap them at night when no one's there and that way, if he catches a few bed bugs, then we know we have a big problem and we can immediately address it," Burton said.

The school district doesn't believe any students are at risk, but they have gone the extra step and purchased additional equipment if they have to eradicate anymore bed bugs.